The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly relates to a dual row leaf connector having multiple contact terminals of increased density.
Many electrical connectors, are well-known in the art, such as shielded I/O connectors. These I/O connectors typically include a male part, known as a plug, which interengages with a female part, known as receptacle, to establish a reliable electrical connection between electronic devices such as computers and the like. I/O connectors are characterized by a large number of terminals which accommodate multiple circuits, usually data transmission circuits in computers and these type of connectors are being used more often as "docking" style connectors suitable for instances for example, in which a notebook or laptop computer is mated with another CPU or monitor station.
Each male and female connector part contains a terminal block with a plurality of terminals which are connected to a like number of circuit wires. The terminals are typically arranged along the width of the terminal block and protrude into an engagement position on the block. The connector also include a protective exterior casing which encloses the wires and portions of the terminal block. A metal shell may also be provided which extends from the casing outwardly to enclose the terminal block and its associated terminals. This shell also defines a structure surrounding the terminals and which provides a mating surface for the male and female parts of the connector.
An I/O type of connector includes a preselected number of terminals which match the required number of output or input circuits of the electronic device. The electronics industry is constantly seeking to further reduce the size of electronic devices. As such, manufacturers seek to increase the number of circuits accommodated by a single connector which also reduces the need for additional connectors. This increase in the number of terminals has typically been accomplished in the past by reducing the lateral size, i.e. width, of each terminal or by reducing the spacing between terminals increasing the overall lateral dimensions of the connector itself.
This manner of increasing terminal density is not without disadvantages, because when the width of the terminals or the spacing therebetween terminals are reduced without increasing the width of the connector, the operational characteristics of the connector may be detrimentally affected because with thinner terminals, the probability of misalignment between terminals of the male and female connector parts increases. Additionally, as the number of circuits which a connector must handle increases, the need for a connector structure which holds the circuit wires in place on the connector also increases.